Annals of a Quiet Neighbourhood eBook

I will not weary my readers with the conversation
we had together. All my missiles of argument
were lost as it were in a bank of mud, the weight
and resistance of which they only increased. My
experience in the attempt, however, did a little to
reconcile me to his going to sleep in church; for
I saw that it could make little difference whether
he was asleep or awake. He, and not Mr. Stoddart
in his organ sentry-box, was the only person whom it
was absolutely impossible to preach to. You might
preach at him; but to him?—­no.

CHAPTER X.

MyChristmasparty.

As Christmas Day drew nearer and nearer, my heart
glowed with the more gladness; and the question came
more and more pressingly —­Could I not do
something to make it more really a holiday of the
Church for my parishioners? That most of them
would have a little more enjoyment on it than they
had had all the year through, I had ground to hope;
but I wanted to connect this gladness—­in
their minds, I mean, for who could dissever them in
fact?—­with its source, the love of God,
that love manifested unto men in the birth of the
Human Babe, the Son of Man. But I would not interfere
with the Christmas Day at home. I resolved to
invite as many of my parishioners as would come, to
spend Christmas Eve at the Vicarage.

I therefore had a notice to that purport affixed to
the church door; and resolved to send out no personal
invitations whatever, so that I might not give offence
by accidental omission. The only person thrown
into perplexity by this mode of proceeding was Mrs.
Pearson.

“How many am I to provide for, sir?” she
said, with an injured air.

“For as many as you ever saw in church at one
time,” I said. “And if there should
be too much, why so much the better. It can go
to make Christmas Day the merrier at some of the poorer
houses.”

She looked discomposed, for she was not of an easy
temper. But she never acted from her temper;
she only looked or spoke from it.

“I shall want help,” she said, at length.

“As much as you like, Mrs. Pearson. I can
trust you entirely.”

Her face brightened; and the end showed that I had
not trusted her amiss.

I was a little anxious about the result of the invitation—­partly
as indicating the amount of confidence my people placed
in me. But although no one said a word to me
about it beforehand except Old Rogers, as soon as
the hour arrived, the people began to come. And
the first I welcomed was Mr. Brownrigg.